Adaptable vibration absorber employing a magnetorheological elastomer with variable gap length and methods and systems therefor

Abstract

The inventions include an adaptive vibration absorber (AVA) and variation thereof including variations in methods and systems of usage. An exemplary AVA may operate adaptively over an appropriate relatively wide bandwidth or frequency range in vibration absorption without adding energy to the system and the problems associated with such energy addition. Further, the exemplary AVA may be of low cost as well sa lightweight and compact.

1. A vibration absorber for absorbing vibrations over a range of frequencies from a vibrating device, comprising:
 a base mass for attachment to the vibrating device; 
 an absorber mass; 
 at least an element connected between the base mass and the absorber mass; 
 a magnetic flux path through the base mass, the absorber mass, and the element for conducting a magnetic flux; 
 the magnetic flux being changeable in response to a change in frequency from the vibrating device; and 
 the element being switchable in response to a change of the magnetic flux in the magnetic flux path, 
 whereby the vibrations over the range of frequencies from the vibrating device may be absorbed by the switchability of the element in response to the changeability of the magnetic flux in the magnetic flux path. 
 
   
   
     2. The vibration absorber of  claim 1 , wherein the element comprises a pair of elements. 
   
   
     3. A vibration absorber for absorbing vibrations over a range of frequencies from a vibrating device, comprising:
 a base for attachment to the vibrating device; 
 an absorber; 
 at least an element connected between the base and the absorber, wherein the element comprises a substance mixed with magnetically-conducting particles that an unable to move freely; 
 a magnetic flux path through the base, the absorber and the element for conducting a magnetic flux; 
 the magnetic flux being changeable in response to a change in frequency from the vibrating device; and 
 the element being switchable in response to a change of the magnetic flux. 
 
   
   
     4. The vibration absorber of  claim 3 , wherein the substance comprises an elastomeric substance mixed with cured magnetically-conducting particles so the magnetically conducting parties are unable to move freely. 
   
   
     5. The vibration absorber of  claim 4  wherein the elastomeric substance comprises a magnetorheological (MR) elastomer. 
   
   
     6. The vibration absorber of  claim 1 , wherein the base mass and/or the absorber mass are relatively rigid. 
   
   
     7. The vibration absorber of  claim 1 , wherein the base mass and/or the absorber mass comprise magnets. 
   
   
     8. The vibration absorber of claim wherein the magnetic field source comprises a coil of current-bearing wire encircling the base mass and/or the absorber mass. 
   
   
     9. The vibration absorber of  claim 1 , wherein the base mass and/or the absorber mass comprises iron or low carbon steel. 
   
   
     10. The vibration absorber of  claim 1 , wherein the element is not geometrically constrained. 
   
   
     11. The vibration absorber of claim wherein the base mass and/or the absorber mass comprises a magnet. 
   
   
     12. A vibration absorber for absorbing vibrations over a range of frequencies from a vibrating device, comprising:
 a base for attachment to the vibrating device; 
 an absorber; 
 at least an element connected between the base and the absorber; 
 a magnetic flux path through the base the absorber and the element for conducting a magnetic flux; 
 the magnetic flux being changeable in response to a change in frequency from the vibrating device; and 
 the element being switchable in response to a change of the magnetic flux in the magnetic flux path, and wherein a stiffness change in the element is directly proportional to the magnetic flux that runs through the element. 
 
   
   
     13. A method to absorb vibrations of a specific frequency from a vibrating device, comprising:
 attaching a vibration absorber to the vibrating device; 
 applying a magnetic field to the vibration absorber to induce a magnetic flux in the vibration absorber; and 
 causing the vibration absorber to proportionally in stiffness change in response to inducement of the magnetic flux so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations of the specific frequency from the vibrating device. 
 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 13  ,wherein causing the vibration absorber to change in response to the inducement of the magnetic flux comprises causing at least an element of the vibration absorber to change in static deflection length in response to the inducement of the magnetic flux so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations of the specific frequency from the vibrating device. 
   
   
     15. A method to absorb vibrations from a vibrating device over a range of frequencies, comprising:
 attaching a vibration absorber to the vibrating device; 
 with respect to absorbing vibrations from the vibrating device at a specific frequency in the range of frequencies, inducing a specific magnetic flux in the vibration absorber; 
 causing the vibration absorber to change in response to inducement of the specific magnetic flux so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations at the specific frequency; 
 in response to detection of a change in frequency of the vibrations from the vibrating device, inducing a magnetic flux correlated to the changed frequency in the vibration absorber; and 
 causing the vibration absorber to change in response to the inducement of the magnetic flux correlated to the changed frequency so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations at the changed frequency. 
 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein causing the vibration absorber to change in response to inducement of the specific magnetic flux comprises causing at least an element of the vibration absorber to change in static deflection length in response to the inducement of the specific magnetic flux so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations at the specific frequency. 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein causing the vibration absorber to change in response to the inducement of the magnetic flux correlated to the changed frequency comprises causing at least an element of the vibration absorber to change in static deflection length in response to the inducement of the magnetic flux correlated to the changed frequency so that the vibration absorber absorbs the vibrations at the changed frequency.